Dunnage accessory

ABSTRACT

The present disclosure provides an accessory for dunnage used with, for example, bundles of lumber, to reduce the friction between the dunnage and the ground for easier transport and protection of the dunnage and banding during transport. The accessory for dunnage of the present disclosure may comprise a base and a pair of arms extending the base. A receptacle may be defined on three sides by the base and pair of arms. The receptacle may be configured to receive a portion of dunnage. The pair of arms may include hooks configured to retain the portion of dunnage within the receptacle. The accessory may be made of a resilient material, in order to widen to receive the portion of dunnage, and pinch to retain said portion within the receptacle.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/456,381, filed on Feb. 8, 2017, now pending, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE

The disclosure relates to accessories for dunnages for protection and easier transport therof.

BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE

In order to facilitate transport, large quantities of items are bundled together for shipment. For example, individual pieces of lumber are arranged side by side and stacked to form a substantially rectangular prism shaped collection. Transverse members (usually lengths of wood), called dunnage, are placed underneath the collection of lumber, longitudinally spaced from one another, and banding is used to secure the lumber and dunnage together. Each band wraps over the lumber and underneath a piece of dunnage.

The bundle is configured to be lifted by a fork lift by approaching the long side of the bundle and inserting the forks between the transverse members. However, the bundles are often too wide to be loaded on to a container by lifting from the long side. Instead, the forks must engage the shorter side of the bundle. Since the dunnage lies on the ground, the forks cannot lift underneath. Instead, the operator may simply use the forks to push the near-side dunnage to slide the bundle across the ground on both the near-side and far-side dunnage, or slightly lift the end of the bundle to lift the near-side dunnage and the bundle will slide across the ground on only the far-side dunnage.

Sliding the bundle across the ground provides various disadvantages. For example, the friction between the dunnage and the ground may make the bundle more difficult to move. A bundle of lumber may have a weight between 100 lbs. and 8,000 lbs., which can result in a very large amount of friction. Obstructions on the ground may cause the dunnage to shift, which may cause the banding to fall off or break, due to abrasion, heat generated by friction, etc. Any breaking or movement of the banding or dunnage may jeopardize the safety of the items being shipped.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

The present disclosure provides a dunnage accessory for shipping bundles to reduce the friction between the bundle and the ground and to protect the banding during transport.

The accessory of the present disclosure may comprise a base and a pair of arms extending from the base. A receptacle may be defined on three sides by the base and pair of arms. The receptacle may be configured to receive a portion of the dunnage.

The pair of arms may include hooks configured to retain the portion of the dunnage within the receptacle. The hooks may comprise a swept face and a sharp face. The swept face and the sharp face may meet to form a retaining edge. The retaining edges may engage the portion of the dunnage to retain said portion within the receptacle. The swept edge may guide the dunnage into the receptacle. The sharp edge may discourage removal of the dunnage from the receptacle.

The pair of arms may further include voids to reduce the amount of material needed for manufacture the accessory.

The accessory may be made of a resilient material, in order to widen to receive the portion of the dunnage, and pinch to retain said portion within the receptacle.

The accessory may reduce the friction between the dunnage and the ground to allow easier transport. The accessory may further protect the dunnage and banding from damage from sliding on the ground.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the disclosure, reference should be made to the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1. is a perspective view of a dunnage accessory according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 is a detail view of part B circled in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3A is a front elevation view of a skid accessory according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 3B is a right side elevation view of a skid accessory according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; and

FIG. 4 illustrates an accessory according to an embodiment of the present disclosure in which the receptacle has received a portion of a dunnage.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DISCLOSURE

FIG. 1 illustrates an accessory 1 for dunnage according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The accessory 1 may comprise a base 5 and a pair of arms 10 extending from the base 5. The pair of arms 10 may be integrally formed with the base 5. Alternatively, the arms 10 may be formed separately from the base 5 and later attached to the base 5. FIG. 1 depicts an embodiment where the arms 10 are integrally formed with the base 5. When viewed collectively, the arms 10 may form a tapered shape such that a distance between a top end of each arm 10 is (L1 in FIG. 3A) is greater than a distance between a bottom end of each arm 10 (i.e., the length of the base 5—L2 in FIG. 3A)

In an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure found to be useful with dunnage currently in use, the base 5 may be rectangular in shape. The length L2 of the base 5 may be 2.62 inches, the thickness T1 of the base 5 may be 0.38 inches, and the width W of the base 5 may be 0.88 inches (see FIGS. 3A and 3B). The dimensions of the base 5 may depend on the type and dimensions of the skid used, the type and dimensions of the items arranged on the skid, and the environment where the skid is to be used.

In a specific embodiment of the present disclosure, each arm 10 may be triangular in shape when viewed from the front of the accessory 1 (see FIG. 3A). The triangular arms 10 may be, for example, 45 degree right triangles, with a side length H of 1.75 inches. Other configurations will be apparent and make up embodiments of the present disclosure. The dimensions of the arms 10 may depend on the type and dimensions of the dunnage used, the type and dimensions of the items arranged on the dunnage, and the environment where the dunnage is to be used.

The accessory 1 may be substantially trapezoidal in shape when viewed from the front. For example, the base 5 may be rectangular and the arms 10 may be triangular to form a substantially trapezoidal accessory 1. The accessory 1 may have other shapes. For example, the accessory 1 may have a shape that is generally rectilinear, semi-circular, etc.

In a specific embodiment of the present disclosure, the accessory 1 may have an overall length L1 of 6.22 inches, an overall height H of 1.75 inches, and an overall width W of 0.88 inches (See FIGS. 3A-3B). The overall dimensions of the accessory 1 may depend on the type and dimensions of the dunnage used, the type and dimensions of the items arranged on the dunnage, and the environment where the dunnage is to be used.

The accessory 1 may include a receptacle 15. The receptacle 15 may be defined on three sides by the base 5 and arms 10. The receptacle 15 may be configured to receive a portion of dunnage. For example, the dunnage may be a transverse piece of wood (transverse with respect to the longitudinal arrangement of lumber in a bundle), and a portion of the this piece of wood may be received within the receptacle 15. For example, the length L2 of the receptacle 15 may be 2.62 inches and the depth D of the receptacle 15 may be 1.37 inches (See FIG. 3A). The receptacle 15 may be substantially rectangular in shape, in order to receive a substantially rectangular portion of the dunnage. The shape and dimensions of the receptacle 15 may depend on the type and dimensions of dunnage used as will be apparent to one having skill in the art.

The arms 10 may include hooks 20. The hooks 20 may be configured to retain the portion of dunnage within the receptacle 15. For example, the hooks 20 may be configured to retain a transverse member of dunnage within the receptacle 15. The hooks 20 may define a length L3 therebetween that is slightly smaller than the width of the dunnage received within the receptacle 15. The accessory 1 will pinch the transverse member with the hooks 20 to retain the transverse member within the receptacle 15. For example, the length L3 between the hooks 20 may be 2.32 inches.

Referring to FIG. 2, the hooks 20 may include a swept face 21 and a sharp face 22. The swept face 21 may be angled from a side of the receptacle 15. The sharp face 22 may be perpendicular to a side of the receptacle 15. The swept face 21 and the sharp face 22 may meet to form a retaining edge 23. The hooks 20 may pinch the portion of the dunnage using the retaining edges 23. The swept faces 21 of the hooks 20 may face out of the receptacle 15 and the sharp faces 22 may face into the receptacle 15. By this configuration, the swept faces 21 may encourage receiving a portion of dunnage within the receptacle 15, while the sharp faces 22 may discourage removal of the portion of the dunnage from the receptacle 15.

The accessory 1 may be made of a material that displays resilient properties. Such properties may allow the receptacle 15 to widen slightly to receive a transverse member of dunnage and pinch to retain the member within. For example, the accessory 1 may be made of a plastic such as, for example, nylon, polyethylene, etc. The accessory 1 may be made from more than one material, including composite materials.

The arms 10 may further include voids 25. The voids 25 may have substantially the same shape as the arms 10. In the specific embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the arms 10 are triangular in shape, and the voids 25 are also triangular in shape. The voids 25 may further define a thickness T2 for the sides of the arms 10. For example, the thickness T2 may be 0.21 inches (See FIG. 3A). The voids 25 may reduce the amount of material needed for manufacturing the accessory 1, thereby reducing the cost to manufacture the accessory 1.

The accessory 1 may be manufactured by additive or subtractive processes. For example, the accessory 1 may be injection molded, extruded, 3-D printed, CNC milled, etc. The manufacturing process used to make the accessory 1 may depend on the material(s) the accessory 1 is composed of, and the dimensions of the accessory 1.

FIG. 4 illustrates an accessory 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure in which the receptacle 15 has received dunnage 30 of a bundle 35. Bundled items 40 (e.g., lumber) may be held to the dunnage 30 via banding 45. The banding 45 may wrap around the items 40 and under the dunnage 30. The banding 45 may reside in a groove 31 of the dunnage 30. The accessory 1 may receive the dunnage 30 and the banding 45 in the receptacle (i.e., a portion of the length of dunnage 30—where length is into the page in FIG. 4). As such, the accessory 1 may protect the banding 45 from contact with the ground.

The accessory 1 may be made of a material that has a lower coefficient of friction with the ground than the dunnage 30. As such, the accessory 1 may reduce the friction between the bundle 35 and the ground, and make the bundle 35 easier to transport.

One, two, or more accessories 1 may be arranged on a length of dunnage 30, for example, multiple accessories 1 may be distributed along the length of dunnage 30. In this matter, the accessories may improve the balance of weight in the transverse direction for easier transport. In some embodiments, it is advantageous to arrange multiple accessories such that only the accessories 1 are in contact with the ground, so friction may be reduced. Further, obstructions on the ground will be less likely to effect the position of the dunnage 30 since only the accessories 1 are in contact with the ground. If the one end of the bundle 35 is lifted when pushed onto a container, accessories 1 can be arranged on the dunnage 30 at the opposite end of the bundle 35.

In an exemplary embodiment, a bundle 35 including dunnage 30 may include a pair of accessories 1 arranged to receive each piece of dunnage 30. Accordingly, if the bundle 35 is simply pushed on to a container, the accessories 1 arranged on the dunnage 30 will be in contact with the ground.

The accessory of the present disclosure may provide certain advantages for transporting bundles of lumber. First, the accessory may reduce the friction between the bundle and the ground, which may make the bundle easier to move. Second, the accessory may protect the banding, which may reduce the chance of the banding breaking and causing damage to the bundled items. Third, the accessory may reduce the chance of obstructions or frictional forces effecting the position of the dunnage.

Although the present disclosure has been described with respect to one or more particular embodiments, it will be understood that other embodiments of the present disclosure may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. 

What is claimed is:
 1. An accessory for dunnage, the accessory comprising: a base; a pair of arms extending from the base; and a receptacle defined on three sides by the base and the pair of arms; wherein the receptacle is configured to receive a portion of dunnage.
 2. The accessory according to claim 1, wherein the pair of arms include a pair of hooks configured to retain the portion of dunnage within the receptacle.
 3. The accessory according to claim 2, wherein the pair of hooks define a width therebetween, and the width of the portion of dunnage received within the receptacle is less than the width between the hooks.
 4. The accessory according to claim 2, wherein the pair of hooks each comprise: a swept face; and a sharp face; wherein the swept face and the sharp face meet to form a retaining edge.
 5. The accessory according to claim 4, wherein the swept face is configured to encourage receiving the portion of dunnage within the receptacle, and the sharp face is configured to discourage removing the portion of dunnage from the receptacle.
 6. The accessory according to claim 4, where in the retaining edges engage the portion of dunnage to retain said portion within the receptacle.
 7. The accessory according to claim 1, wherein the portion of dunnage is a transverse member.
 8. The accessory according to claim 1, wherein the pair of arms each include a void.
 9. The accessory according to claim 1, wherein the accessory is made of a resilient material.
 10. The accessory according to claim 9, wherein the accessory is made of plastic.
 11. The accessory according to claim 9, wherein the receptacle widens in order to receive the portion of dunnage, and pinches the portion of dunnage in order to retain the portion therein.
 12. The accessory according to claim 1, wherein the accessory is substantially trapezoidal in shape.
 13. The accessory according to claim 12, wherein the base is substantially rectangular in shape and the arms are substantially triangular in shape. 